One of the more challenging aspects of being a Christian is to come to grips with is our ‘positioning’ in God. Early on in my walk with Christ I was introduced to the ‘in Christ’ teachings which basically highlighted the fact that my personal perfection was already completed and perfected in Christ, and that I simply needed to accept it by faith and walk accordingly. For me it basically boiled down to a conceptual recognition of biblical fact and then a ‘trying my best’ to believe and live accordingly. To say the least, I rather quickly came to the realization this is not the full truth.
In fact I learnt that the Holy Spirit is given to me as a Person to make the ‘in Christ’ promises a reality in my life. The Holy Spirit is the Life of Christ dwelling in me to perform and complete the work which Christ has purchased for me on the cross. Yet, I also realized that being filled with the Spirit was also not quite enough. I had to learn to ‘follow the Spirit, and in so doing I would not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.’
And thus I learnt that being complete in Christ means to firstly believe in the completed work of Christ through the cross. Secondly, I needed to yield to the Spirit of Life on a continuous basis and then follow Him as He experientially makes the Life of Christ a present-day reality. Jesus walked in this same manner while He was here on earth. His whole walk was in complete dependence on His Father’s words and actions. And thus His perfection was being practically worked out through following His Father.
Likewise we have to come to grips with the fact that being ‘in God’ means to ‘move with God’. For believers without a developed conversational relationship with God, this is almost impossible to understand. Most believers in God have a relationship with Him based upon sacrifice. They approach Him from afar, and try to ‘keep Him happy’ by offering acceptable sacrifices (good works) to Him. Most would see their faith in the completed work of Christ is their goal. On this the Bible is clear: those who believe will be saved. For we are saved by faith, not by works, and therefore faith alone in Christ is sufficient to make me a member of the household of God and a citizen of His kingdom.
Yet, is faith in God the fullness that the new (and final) covenant promises to us? I believe not! Jesus was not only intent on saving us. He opened the way to bring us into a living relationship with the Godhead. It is this journey towards relational union with God that is the pursuit of my heart.
I believe that the pursuit of God, through following the Spirit, leads us to progressively ‘enter into God’. Yet, not all Christians pursue God in this manner. Why, I do not really need to know. Perhaps it depends upon one’s hunger for more of God. Perhaps it is a glimpse of the eternal love that has captivated one’s hearts. Nevertheless, for those who have been called to press deeper into God, we have to journey in faith and hope, by the Spirit of Christ who leads us. For us it is not enough to ‘belong to’ or be ‘a part of’. We need to be ‘in’. We are not satisfied with being a member of the household – we need to be in the house!
‘Belonging to’ without being ‘in’
I believe that the parable of the lost son speaks of this. The prodigal son was not an unsaved sinner, for he was indeed a son of the Father. Yet, he was a son who pursued his selfish ambitions and left the Father’s house. Although the prodigal belonged in the Father’s house in being a member of the household, he was no longer ‘living in the house’. And thus we find the picture of those who belong to Christ, yet are not living and walking with Him. The prodigal did indeed depart from the ‘rule’ of his Father, although he still belonged to the Father. And in this we also have the picture of those who depart from ‘being under’ the kingdom of God, although they remain members of that same kingdom.
And thus, for me, the references of ‘seeing’, ‘entering’, ‘receiving’ and ‘inheriting’ the kingdom of God do not refer to eternal salvation, but instead to the pursuit of the rule of God in an individual’s life. The prodigal’s journey back to the Father’s rule is marked by these stages. He firstly ‘sees’ his Father’s rule of love at his lowest point amongst the pigs (repentance). Then he ‘enters’ through his journey back home (surrender and obedience). When he meets his Father again, he ‘receives’ the Father’s loves as a child (not as a servant – humility) and thus ‘inherits’ again as he is restored in his Father’s home.
The parable of the prodigal speaks about the Father’s incredible love, but also about the effects of being ‘in’ or ‘out’ of His sphere of rule. Neither the Father’s love nor the prodigal’s place in the house changed during the son’s wayward journey. Yet, due to the son’s pursuit of his own rule (self), he did not live or dwell ‘in’ the house where he belonged.
Jesus says ‘I have gone to prepare a place for you. I am the way … no one comes to the Father except through Me.’
